Blood testing poultry coop



Nov. 13, 1951 D. v. SMITH 2,574,765

BLOOD TESTING POULTRY COOP Filed Oct. 12, 1948 Patented Nov. 13, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BLOOD TESTING POULTRY COOP Dallas V. Smith, Ottumwa, Iowa.

Application October 12, 1948, Serial No. 54,037

Claims. 1

This invention relates to a coop for fowl for use in connection with conducting blood tests of the fowl.

The device of the present invention is especially adaptable to use with conducting a test which requires a predetermined period of time, such, for example, as the test for Pullorum disease. In such a test, a specimen of blood is extracted from the fowl, and a definite period of time must elapse before it can be determined whether there is a reaction to the test, and the fowl must be confined during that period of time.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a blood testing coop by the use of which the person performing such a test can confine the fowl with the least effort, whereby his main efforts can be directed toward conducting the test.

Another object is the provision of such a coop by the use of which the fowl is automatically liberated after confinement at the end of the time required for the test.

A further object is the provision of such a testing coop in which individual fowls placed therein are segregated from one another.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of such a coop in which means is included for identifying the individual fowls placed therein.

Still another object is the provision of such a coop which is sanitary.

A further object is the provision of such a coop which is small and compact with respect to the number of fowls which can be accommodated, and which is easily portable.

Another object is the provision of a coop having an opening, and a door therefor, in which the door can be closed, so that instead of the fowls being automatically liberated at the end of the test, they can be confined so that the operator can retrieve the fowls for tagging them or segregating any that may be infected.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of my device whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in the claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of the coop of the present invention; 7

Figure 2 is a plan view, with a portion of the top broken away;

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of the coop indicated on line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Figure l; and

Figure 7 is a view of a panel for deposit of test specimens thereon.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the coop includes a circular housing l2 comprising a circular side wall l4 having an open bottom. The circular wall may be of sheet metal or other material fabricated in a conventional manner. Surrounding the upper edge is an outwardly extending peripheral flange I6 for securement thereto of a cover l8 for the housing. The cover may be also of sheet metal, and is illustrated here as being slightly cone-shaped, although other shapes may be employed. The cover l8 may be secured to the flange It by beans of bolts 20, or the cover may be spot-welded thereto if desired.

Surrounding the inner surface of the circular wall I4 at the lower edge thereof is a reinforcing band 22 spot-welded thereto. A spider-shaped support 24 having radial arms 26 is positioned across the open bottom of the housing I2, the ends of the arms 26 being secured by means of bolts 28 to the band 22 and to the lower edge of the wall I4. Legs 30 extend downwardly from the support 24 for supporting the coop at the desired level.

A boss 32 is formed centrally on the support 24 and extends upwardly from the upper surface of the support. The boss 32 is provided with a central vertical hole for reception of a vertical rod 34 on which nuts 36 are threaded below the boss 32. The rod 34 extends upwardly through a hole in the cover l8 and centrally thereof, and nuts 38 are threaded on the upper end of the rod above the cover. The rod is thus retained in place.

A cage member, indicated in its entirety by the numeral 40, is rotatably mounted within the housing [2, and, of course, is placed in position tending vanes 46 are secured to the sleeve 42.

Each vane 46 includes a peripheral bead or rein; forcing rod 48 having a lower horizontal length 56 with its inner end welded to the, sleeve 42 and extending outwardly into close proximity to the side wall l4; a vertical length 52 extends upwardly adjacent the wall I4 from the outer end of the length 50 to a point just below the cover l8; and an upper length 54 extends inwardly from the upper end 'of the length 52 following the contour of the cover I8. The inner end of the upper length 54 is welded to the sleeve 42. The area defined by the bead 48 with the sleeve 42 is filled by a plate or panel 56, of sheet metal or other material, spot-welded at intervals along the bead and the sleeve. The vanes 46 thus constructed are closed walls, forming circumferentially spaced cells 58 closed by the side wall [4 and cover l8.

A circular reinforcing rod 60 is welded to the outer ends of the lower lengths 58 of the vanes 46, securing the vanes in proper angularly spaced positions, and imparting strength and rigidity generally to the cage member.

A screen mesh member 62 covers the bottom of the cage member 40, being spot-welded to the lengths 5 8 of the beads 48, and to the reinforcing rod 60. The screen member 62 forms the bottom supporting surface of the cage member. The screen member 62 is of such gauge mesh that the feet of the fowls will not fall therethrough, but that the droppings will fall through. It should be noted here that the bottom of the cage member 48 (including the screen member 62) is spaced somewhat above the "arms 26 of the spider support 24.. v e

a V A disc 64 having a central hole is fitted over the upper end of the sleeve42 and rests on the upper edges of the vanes 46.; The disc may be welded to the upper'edges'of the vanes for securing the disc rigidly to the cage member.- Identifying indicia 66 is imprinted on the upper surface of the disc 64 in register with each of the cells 58 for identification of the latter. The disc is of minor radial extent relative to the housing 12, as illustrated in the various figures.

The cover I8 is provided with a wedge shape top opening 68 of substantially the shape of the Z-shape strips H (Figure 6) are secured above and below the opening to form channels for supporting the door in which the door can be slid to close or open the opening 69.

A spring detent 12 (Figure 5) is secured to the inner surface of the side wall l4, preferably adjacent either one of the openings 68 or 69. This detent 12 has a flexible free end 14 which has a depression16 formed thereinfor receiving the vanes 46 and normally retaining the cage member from rotation, but permitting rotation of the cage member under deliberate force. The detent I2 isso placed a's to locate respective cells 58 in register with the openings 68 and 69 when one of. the vanes is retained in the depression 16.

A handle 18 is provided on the outer surface of the sidewall l4 -for ease in carrying the coop.

vertical projectionof any one of the cells 58.

The inner end of the opening 68 extends radially inwardly of the outer periphery of the disc 64, thereby exposing the indicia 66 on the disc through the opening. I

The side wall I4 is also provided with an opening indicated at 69, staggered circumferentially of the coop, with respect to the top opening 68, an extent substantially equal to the interval between cells 58. The side opening 69 is of a height extremity of the latter.

A sliding door 10 .is provided for closing the opening 69. The door is preferably a panel'of sheet metallarge enough tocover theopening Q 69, and curved to conform to the side wall [4.

.and width substantially equal to the respective dimensions of the cells 58 at the outer radial Figure 6 illustrates a test panel to be used in conjunction with the coop. The panel is indicated at 86, and is marked off to form test areas 82, r the latter being identified by appropriate indicia 84'. The panel may be transparent and placed over a light.

Use and operation In conducting a test in which the coop is to be used, the operator places a quantity of testing chemical on each of a' number of the areas 82 on the panel 86. The panel is preferably transparent and placed over a light so that the specimens placed on the panel can be readily observed. He then extracts blood from a fowl and places it on the drop of chemical on one of the testing areas 821 he then inserts the him through the top opening 68 into the cell semen in register therewith, after the cage member has been rotated 'to place the desired ce11 in register with the opening as determined by the indicia 66, so that the number 'of the cell corresponds with the respective testing "area. The operator then rotates the cage ineinh'er counterclockwise (as viewed downwardly) to bring the next cell into register with the top opening. The procedure is then repeated with respect to successive fowls. Upon continued rotation of the cage member, the fowl first inserted in the coop will reach the side opening 69, and when the door 16 is in open position, the fowl will hop out of its own accord, and all other fowls later inserted will be liberated in turn upon reaching the side opening 69. The time required forth'e'operator to obtain specimens of blood from successive fowls is such that rotation of the page member pursuant thereto will liberate the fowls at the end of respective intervals of time in which the results of the tests can. be determined. The operator repeatedly observes the specimens 0n the panel 80, and if the tests turn outv favorably, he continues his "testing and permits the fowls to escape each in its turn. The door 10 may be closed if desired, to prevent the fowls from readily escaping. In the event thatcertainfowls are infected, the operator will be enabled to withdraw those fowls by opening the door for each particular fowl, and segregating them from those fowls which'are not infected. The fowls will be readily identifiable by reference to the indicia 6 6. Also, if it is desired to tag the fowls after testing, the door I0 may be normally in closed positionduring the testing, so thatthe operator '-may individually retrieve the fowls for that purpose after :re ch n the 29 211 9595. Th vthe c may be employed 'with the door l0 open 'or closed as iz. a; 1

It will now be evident i-that th'e blood'testing coop of the present invention is an efficient, time saving device. The operators main efforts can be directed strictly to the actual testing operation, and the testing operation is continuous. The coop is compact and relatively small, and is easily portable.

By reason of the screen mesh 62 forming the bottom of the cage member 40, substantially all of the droppings from the fowls will fall through and out of the coop, resulting in a relatively sanitary device.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my devic without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope without sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination comprising, a circular housing having an open bottom, a spider-shape support secured to said housing across its open bottom, said support having a central hub, a vertical rod secured in said hub, a cage member rotatably mounted on said rod, said cage member having a mesh bottom and vertical radial vanes, said vanes forming cells, said housing having a plurality of openings communicable with said cells.

2. In a device of the class described, the com bination comprising, a circular housing having an open bottom, a spider-shape support secured to said housing across its open bottom, said support having a central hub, a vertical rod secured in said hub, a cage member rotatably mounted on said rod, said cage member having a mesh bottom and vertical radial vanes, said vanes forming cells, said housing having an opening in its side and in its top, said openings being substantially coextensive with the respective projections of said cells and being staggered with respect to each other circumferentially of the housing, and a disc secured to the top of said vanes centrally of said cage member, said disc extending radially beyond the adjacent end of ,1.

said top opening, said disc having identifying indicia for said cells.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination comprising, a circular housing having an open bottom, a spider-shape support secured to said housing across its open bottom, said support having a central hub, a vertical rod secured in said hub, a cage member rotatably mounted on said rod, said cage member having a mesh bottom and vertical radial vanes, said vanes forming cells, said housing having a plurality of openings communicable with said cells, and.

a disc mounted on and carried by said vanes, said disc having identifying indicia for said cells and being exposed through one of said openings.

4-. In a device of the class described, the combination comprising, a circular housing, a cage member rotatably mounted in the housing, said cage member having a bottom supporting surface and a plurality of radially extending vanes extending substantially to the limits of the housing, said vanes forming cells opening radially and upwardly, said housing having an opening therein substantially coextensive with each of said cells circumferentially of the housing, and detent means on the housing cooperable with said cagemember for normally retaining said cage member in any of a plurality of positions of rotation, and said cage member, when in any of said positions, being so disposed that said opening is in register with one of said cells.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination comprising, a circular housing, a cage member rotatably mounted in said housing, said cage member having a plurality of radially extending circumferentially positioned cells, said cells being open, with respect to said cage member, at their radial and upper extremities and being closed by said housing, and said housing having an opening in the side thereof and in the top thereof communicable with said cells, said openings being staggered with respect to each other circumferentially of the housing an extent equal to the angular interval of said cells, and detent means on the housing cooperable with said cage member for normally retaining said cage member in any of a plurality of positions of rotation, and said cage member, when in any of said positions, being so disposed that said openings are in register with respective ones of said cells.

DALLAS V. SMITH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,553,544 Linnemann Sept. 15, 1925 1,863,982 Hatch June 21, 1932 2,116,850 Rotz May 10, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 562,559 France Sept. 8, 1923 430,219 Great Britain June 14, 1935 

